Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Gilchrist, Sandra

Area of Concentration

Biology

Abstract

Microalgae, a group of single celled or simple multicellular organisms responsible for a significant portion of the world’s primary productivity, have the potential to be utilized for sustainable and potentially remediative production of fuel, food, and medicine. Recent experiments have shown that treating microalgae with sound can enhance growth and lipid production. Chlorella vulgaris, a microalga of interest in multiple industries, was cultured with continuous single frequency sound stimulation at 2200 Hz to observe changes in growth rates. Sound-treated alga cultures showed no significant difference in growth compared to control cultures. The literature on microalgal applications, as well as sound stimulation and sensation of plants and bacteria are reviewed, and additional experiments are suggested.

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